Circle of Six provides instant assistance
By Jessica Skaggs
Student Ambassador Elysia Chao got off work and headed to her car parked by Clock East on Feb. 26. On her way, a black Chrysler pulled up along beside her. A man rolled the windows down and began talking with Chao.
“He seemed lost, saying, ‘Hey, do you happen to know how to get to the Student Center building?’ and thinking he was just lost I stepped a little bit closer so he could hear me,” she said. “I gave him instructions, pointing toward the Carlsen Center and College Boulevard direction saying that it was closer and easier to find that way.”
But the conversation didn’t end there.
“He then said that he wasn’t familiar with the area and asked if I could just show him, pointing to the passenger seat next to him,” she said.
It was then when Chao began to put more distance between herself and the car, inching farther from the road.
“My gut was telling me to get away and stop talking to him, “ she said. “I came up with an excuse and said I really had to go, and that my car was just a little further, pointing in the general direction of Quivira, though really my car was in the parking lot to the right and further away.”
However, the man remained persistent in his attempt to lure her into his car.
“He then asked me if I wanted a ride to my car,” she said. “At this point I just ignored him like I didn’t hear him. As I was walking though, I saw that he was still following me alongside the road while staring at me. It went on until I was almost out of the grass and near the curb when he randomly said that he liked my boots. I glanced at him but didn’t respond. I knew it was rude and felt kind of bad but I had to draw the line somewhere, I felt uncomfortable and was ready to just go into the culinary building to get away at that point.”
The man eventually drove away, opposite in the direction of the Student Center, waving and grinning at her excitedly.
Just a couple days prior, a Lawrence-based advocacy group, Jana’s Campaign, spoke at the college to raise awareness of preventive measures students can take to stop violence, specifically against women.
Students were given resources outlining steps they could take to protect themselves against such violence, including information on the Circle of Six app.
The app is simple in its design, allowing easy and quick usage for users who may feel at risk. Crime prevention officer Dan Robles said he likes the app because it offers assurance to those who feel alone and in potential danger.
“When you’re out there, sometimes you can feel like you’re alone or by yourself and what this does is it kind of gives a support that’s not really [physically] there,” Robles said. “So when you’re out moving about, at the touch of fingertips you can push a button and have six people become involved.”
Police escorts to vehicles are offered at all times of the day to anyone on campus who requests them. Usually about 10 escorts are requested and given a week.
“The idea was the same as such as the circle of six,” Robles said. “You just punch the number in and if you want an escort, day or night it doesn’t matter when it is, you feel funny or there is a guy sitting out in vehicle, go back in the building, call us, we’ll do the escort and at the same time we’ll go ahead and check on the other person and see what’s up and why the person is hanging out.”
Following the incident with Chao, the officers assured her that there would be more surveillance in the area where it took place. The campus police continue to promote the idea of campus safety, whether it be with escorts or with informational brochures on various crimes to be aware of, including theft and stalking.
“The campus is pretty darn safe when you look at it,” Robles said. “When you look at your personal safety and you’re moving about campus, you can move around pretty safely for the most part day or night, because you have our presence day or night […] and we have the emergency phones and we keep trying to push and promote this idea of campus safety and personal safety.”
Despite the incident, Chao said she feels safe on campus.
“I generally feel pretty safe, some areas more so than others […] of course it’s uncomfortable walking alone outside at night though,” she said. “After this incident, I advise people not to walk out to a farther away parking lot by themselves, especially at night. The buddy system, keeping a cell phone in hand, having the campus police or 911 on speed dial, notifying someone that you’re leaving, and being aware of your surroundings is really important.”
Contact Jessica Skaggs, managing editor, at jskaggs4@jccc.edu.